Jackson Koivun led the 3M Open after 54 holes, doing it in just his third event as a professional with David Flynn on the bag. It was the kind of position that turns attention quickly, because a player still this early in his career was already setting the pace late on a major tour stop.
That is why Koivun Golf is drawing searches now: the result points to a fast rise, and it puts Flynn in the frame as the man helping guide it. Koivun had already recorded a low amateur finish at the 2026 US Open the day before he turned professional, a marker that had marked him as one of the brightest talents in the game before this week even began.
Flynn brings his own long route to the moment. He played college golf at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history and took up caddying in 2014. Before working with Koivun, he had looped for Trey Mullinax, Troy Merritt and Kevin Tway, giving him a resume built on different styles, different pressure points and enough experience to read a round as it changes.
He had also been with Koivun during the latter stages of his amateur career, which matters because the jump from amateur promise to professional contention is usually measured in small steps, not immediate leaderboard pressure. Here, though, Koivun arrived at the 3M Open already sitting atop the board after 54 holes, while still carrying the label of a player only just beginning his pro career.
The unanswered question is not whether Koivun has talent. It is how quickly that talent can translate into a result that lasts through the final round, and whether the partnership with Flynn is already mature enough to handle the next test. For now, the leaderboard says Koivun is ahead; the rest of the week will decide how far that early statement goes.
